


Gift That Constantly Gives

by CompanyMask



Category: Borderlands, Borderlands: The Presequel
Genre: M/M, Mentioned JackxNisha
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-24
Updated: 2016-10-24
Packaged: 2018-08-24 09:25:37
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,823
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8367028
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CompanyMask/pseuds/CompanyMask
Summary: Timothy learns of Jack's birthday and decides to get Jack a gift.. (Rated for mild language)





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Spycethra](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Spycethra/gifts).



The walk to Jack’s office through the ridiculously long hallway always built up a strange sense of anticipation for Timothy. He could feel how much closer he was to the office, and always pause at the doors, even if he were blind. There was a sense of static in the air that increased the closer Tim approached the office and it made the hairs on the back of his neck rise. It was a weird and unique experience at least compared to any other place Tim had visited since he was hired to be Jack’s double. This visit had been particularly electric as the soft hue of the office lights that were usually on, where there used to be incompetent Claptrap units uselessly working at assigned pcs, were off with the exception of the line of floor lights following the hallway wall to help guide the way. The thrum of the floor cleaning bot was absent as well which granted Tim a sense of relief as he didn’t want to trip over it anyway. Tim’s mind had become clouded with hordes of thoughts as the doors to the office finally opened only to realize this room also shared the same level of darkness minus whatever Jack was doing at his desk. Even the highlights that exposed posters of Jack’s glory and face had been shut off and it was a little unnerving. Tim didn’t understand the reason for the darkness and as he took rather large steps up to Jack’s desk; hands now behind his back to conceal his reason for the visit. Tim’s mind was filling with the many reasons it could be this dark in the office while trying to keep his composure to get this over with. In all honesty, it would have been cozy if it wasn’t for the industrial, cold ambience of Hyperion looming over every inch of Helios. Anything that could be deemed comfortable was ruined by the space station itself. It all became irrelevant as Tim stood there before Jack’s desk; everything quiet. Jack didn’t even acknowledge his double’s existence and it made the toes in Tim’s boots curl with anxiety. He licked his lips because everything started to feel dry and Tim was starting to feel light headed.

“Uhhh sir? Ja-I mean, not me-no-Other Jack-“ Timothy stuttered while trying to gain his own bearings. It was really hard to think at the moment. He didn’t have an official term for his boss so he often tripped over his tongue when addressing him. Well, now he did since he wasn’t gripped into the middle of a damn war for the moon and had more time to give thought as to how he should call Jack. Tim technically _was_ supposed to be Jack so calling his boss that was weird despite his boss being the real Jack. Not being his double level of weird but still pretty weird. Truth be told he’s known Jack for a while now. He helped Jack save Elpis from destruction and also helped Jack strut his way up the corporate Hyperion ladder-along with the aid of his employer’s own “tactics”-but he still felt butterflies in his gut when around the man. It was strange and he could never gauge this feeling. When they first met he figured it was the strong level of discomfort of getting hit on by the very man he’d been hired to emulate in every way, from face to mannerisms, but once that constant level of discomfort disappeared what was left? It always made Tim feel like he was buying a girl a drink for the first time; which by the way was also pretty damn awkward. It felt great but it was equally terrifying. He didn’t know what the hell he was doing. Tim was a student gone vault hunter, dammit, he didn’t need expertise in this field. His lack of clear communication finally got him a response from Jack. 

“Yeah, really busy here, cupcake, so if you could make this quick and painless that would be great.” Jack didn’t bother to pry his eyes away from what he was concentrating on. His head was propped up by his hand, index and middle fingers planted at his temple, and posture was stiff from sitting up in the huge office chair-that look like it should fit a damn king-opposed to the usual confident lean back Tim was greeted with when he visited or was called. There was a cold snap in Jack’s tone as he gazed over the hologram screen illuminating in front of him. By the gradual scroll of his eyes Tim assumed he was reading something or whatever. He didn’t really know what Jack did but he figured it was something important by the way he looked; like he was taking a shit all the time. Jack was Hyperion’s CEO now and with it came the sweet stuff like power, admiration (especially from low tier employees, snitches and brown nosers), money, fantastical amounts of obvious ass kissing, ect. but it also came with a lot of work. Big decisions, creating new weapon lines and improving old ones, deciding what lines to terminate or keep and making or breaking relationships with competing munitions and even investing where it was beneficial while cutting off when it was not all fell into stuff Jack had to deal with. Funding, research and the construction of plans for Pandora was an extra helping of stress which was starting to take a toll on Jack as the week progressed. It was clear even before Tim’s current visit that the man was a walking bound of nerves. For weeks Jack’s been snapping at people, punching them, spitting on them, tripping them, kicking them, whatever as he graced the Helios halls with his presence. He’d yell up a storm at pass by employees until they looked like they’d shit themselves just to feel better. He’d yell about the craziest things too. Tim vaguely recalled hearing stories about “the Great Handsome Jack” ripping this guy a new one for wearing a tie that didn’t match his shirt. If you were in his way and/or he needed to vent off some frustration it happened at anytime and anywhere for any reason. It was like being at the wrong place at the wrong time. Ironically, Tim heard employees in their worker ‘cliques’ discussing it was a form of flattery from the big Hyperion boss. Like he singled them out for reasoning like favoritism or because he valued them. Tim would laugh if it wasn’t so sad…and scary. It’s was very scary. Witnessing such things was straight up horrifying. This was life on Helios. Tim really missed Eden, especially when he witnessed the evils and oddities of Helios. Culture shock at its finest. When people mistook him for Jack he had to play the part and boy was that…that a lot of fun. 

Dealing with Elpis and Pandora while maintaining Hyperion and making it number one in everything that was worth being number one in only accumulated into a fierce level of stress for Jack, as Tim witnessed. It was all irritating as hell and Jack really wasn’t in the mood for anything lately. Anyone could give him anything and he’d find a reason to tear them a new asshole. He had stress management tactics beyond abusing employees as Tim learned like testing guns, visiting Research and Development for cool tech or Nisha and their “fun times”, because that was fun to witness, but overall Jack was still seemingly overwhelmed. Especially when he’d go long periods without doing anything of the sort which at the moment seemed to be one of his stress relieving dry spells. 

Jack’s brows were furrowed deep as the holoscreen’s light gleamed in his eyes. From the other side of the desk it was intimidating. Add in the mood created by the lack of lighting, the radiant view of Elpis’s massive existence along with its scar plus the infinite, dark depths of space behind Jack it was like Tim was gazing at the untouchable. 

Tim and the other vault hunters who remained employed by Jack almost never had to deal with the man’s wrath as he had them on missions ranging from cleaning up Elpis of remaining Dahl influence to helping clear out bandit camps on Pandora to aid in solidifying Hyperion’s presence there. Tim usually handled Elpis missions because he was Jack’s double and there was a higher chance of building Jack’s image there compared to Pandora. It was logical considering the people didn’t take Hyperion’s presence as “invading” and also maintained a higher level of sanity (especially compared to the wreck of Pandoran psychos and bandits out for flesh smoothies and face pizzas). It was icing on the proverbial cake when they already praised Jack because he saved Elpis from the “evil clutches of Dahl”. There would be Pandora missions in Tim’s future, he was sure of that so Jack could make himself look to be a badass on the newly claimed planet, but for now Jack had told him to focus more on whatever he had now. This was the reason why his double had a lot more free time compared to Nisha or Wilhelm. Zarpedon and The Lost Legion were long gone and were no longer the threat that required priority so Tim spent a lot of his time on Helios where news travels like wildfire, especially when it came to news about Jack. His birthday became a big thing and because of it there was major gossip at the Hub of Heroism. There are plans and all for a party and gifts and such things the most powerful man of Helios didn’t need but people were excited. It was like a damn holiday or something and it freaked Tim out big time. Sometimes he walked around in a hoodie to avoid the freaks since he was always taken to be Jack. How these people learned of his boss’ birthday was kind of strange. It wasn’t common knowledge to be sure so maybe a group of very talented data miners or something were the reason but Jack hadn’t announced it despite his insufferable ego. When it came to his personal life Jack was very…private. His family, his past, his stats were all kind of left in the realm of mystery. He was a programmer himself so Jack used that to alter the information of himself within Helio’s data center to what he wanted it to be along with a message of “Get a life and while you’re at it go screw yourself you nosy little shit” as a closer for any with enough balls to actually seek this information. That, and due to high level tracking on the ECHOnet he’d have a nice little virus running about to infect any who tried to hack such details about him anyway and if you were caught with that virus on your tech you were as good as dead anyway. So again, how these people learned of his birthday was a damn mystery which made Tim wonder why they’d want to “surprise” the guy who kills over such small details with a party dedicated to that sensitive information. The only thing Jack loved to share on his public profile was his dick size which was stated to be a size not possible by any human being so it felt like a joke. A really bad dick joke. Or he was that confident in his dick size, it was hard to tell. Either way, Tim had heard of all the details when taking a break and enjoying a smoothie in his favorite disguise hoodie he purchased from the Hyperion gift shop. That’s how it all lead up to this point of Tim ending up in Jack’s office unannounced. A day before his boss’ birthday with a little gift he hid behind his back like he was giving a gift to a kid who would appreciate the faux mystery. Tim could practically feel his check burn at the thought of how much this whole fiasco has taken up a lot of his thoughts lately and how he mustered up the courage to act. He wanted to thank every vault in existence the room was dark enough and that Jack wasn’t looking at him anyway. Tim could practically feel the blood leave his knuckles as he grasped tightly on what was hidden behind his back. 

All of these thoughts and emotions, along with the intimidating view of his boss before him, caused Tim to avert his eyes anywhere else but in front of him to help calm his nerves a little. Jack had his moments, as Tim had observed a good few times, but he never really seen his boss this annoyed before. Not that he could refer back to anyway. It was as though the air molecules were disrupting the man. It made Tim’s stomach flip but he figured he’d get to the point before he ignites Jack’s wrath. 

“Uhh, right. So, I was kind of informed that an important day-“ Tim interrupted himself when his eyes found themselves focused on Jack again only to witness the moment his boss’ gaze went from holoscreen to him. It was instantaneous and it caused the small gasp to get caught in Tim’s throat. He breathed out a nervous laugh and cleared his throat. He was definitely going to ignore how his heart was thumping against his chest like a hammer to a wall. 

“Okay, I can see you’re-whatever. Here.” Tim revealed a small box that he had concealed behind his back. It was now nestled firmly within the grip of his hands in front of him. There was silence so he let out a nervous chuckle by pure habit. 

“What the hell is this?” 

“A gift.” Tim answered simply. A finely arched eyebrow rose but Jack didn’t look amused in the least. 

“Congratulations, kiddo, we just confirmed you think I’m an idiot. Which I’m not but I wanted to let you know because you don’t seem to know that. I meant why, genius.” It didn’t come out as a question at all but instead a slue of sarcasm. Tim rubbed the back of his neck trying to keep eye contact because when anyone last that then said person was deemed as good as dead in the office of Handsome Jack. It was a visual sign of resigning will and that was dangerous; even for his double. He usually wasn’t this nervous around Jack but damn it was hard to be all “Jack-like” when the original was staring him down in what looked like disapproval. 

“A…birthday gift, sir? For your uhhh birthday.” There was only silence, with the exception of the hum of Jack’s computer, and then came the bark of laughter. It was _really_ loud and Tim was taken aback by the burst of noise. There was confusion written all over Tim’s face as Jack’s fit of laughter echoed all the way out to the dark office hallway. 

“What’s so funny? I kind of expected that after you opened the gift but not before.” Tim blurted out without thought. He was thinking out loud and pursed his lips shut when Jack leaned forward on his desk after pushing aside some papers. 

“Don’t you get it, dum-dum? It’s not my birthday today, tomorrow or whatever date you imprinted in your head. We’re frickin’ Handsome Jack, kiddo, you should know this.” There was a light touch of sarcasm in that, Tim noted. Even Jack’s double wouldn’t know but so much about the guy. He signed up to look like him and act like him but he could never actually be him or know what he knows. Any information outside of his briefing was untapped territory. Tim opened his mouth to speak but nothing fell out but a breath of silence. Jack didn’t seem to mind. 

“You think I want that kind of information swimming through this place? I’d have idiots all over giving me crap while looking for a handout. I mean, sure, ass kissing and worship is great and all but that’d annoy the hell outta me after a while. Take right now for instance where even the most advanced, sniveling ass kisser’s effort would amount to nothing but a grand tour of my newly installed trap door. Which, spoilers, it’s the better side of getting gifts by the way. Giving me a reason to test out my toys, kiddo. So no, it’s not my birthday. No birthday equals less fun for me but I get to keep my sanity intact and the number of idiots on this space station doesn’t take a steep decline. Especially with these frickin’ reports chewing me something new. Get me, kitten?” Jack explained with matter-a-factly amusement and Tim didn’t understand. He was at a loss for words and his face was going through a metamorphosis of expressions but they all read thunderstruck. 

“I don’t know who told you that but feel free to take care of that little problem yourself.” Tim could practically here the grin on Jack’s face which didn’t matter because he caught sight of it himself. Jack leaned back in his chair before skimming through the papers he once cast aside without a second thought. They were investment claims and whatever. Well, Jack said reports but…whatever it was it wasn’t something worth caring about from either of their perspectives. Nothing interesting at all. 

“If you do take care of the idiot spreading rumors feel free to strangle the life out of them. You’re wearing my face so make it personal. Feel free to take footage. Something I can check out on my break.” More silence. Jack said nothing for what felt like a lifetime to his double. Where was a clock when it was necessary to have the ability to count the number of seconds-to-minutes it took for awkward silence to die? Jack glanced over towards his double to see he hadn’t budged an inch with his gift still in hand. He could read Tim like a popup book and he realized the kid wasn’t cut out for his level of humor when it came to such “sensitive” topics. Even if he wasn’t joking. 

“I’m kidding!” Jack exclaimed to lighten the mood that was clearly taking a heavy nose dive into darker territory. He wasn’t kidding but Tim didn’t need to know that. 

“Come on, you don’t have to take footage. This time.” Tim was about to open his mouth to tell his boss that wasn’t the problem with that suggestion but Jack beat him to speaking first. 

“I’ll humor you. So, show me the Handsome Jack way to give a gift,” Jack paused for emphasis, “…to Handsome Jack. I’m the only person worth giving a gift to on this space station anyway. So this,” Jack pointed between him and Tim with his index finger and a grin on his face, “This right here makes a helluva lot of sense to me right now. You’re bringing home the dream, kiddo, so go for it. Show me you’re not wasting my…our time.” Jack’s lips dragged into a lazy smirk as he placed the papers in his hands on his desk with near comical delicacy before sitting back again and folding his arms. He was waiting to be “dazzled” by his other half. Tim felt like his chest was going to explode. He didn’t sign up for this. He didn’t know it would come to this and if he did…he’d probably still be here. Dammit it all, he thought. 

“Uhhh…Right.” Tim started and cleared his throat, “Happy frickin’ birthday to you, Handsome Jack! It’s not as awesome as you are but it’s pretty damn close.” Tim played the part but Jack noticed through the glow of his holoscreen that Tim’s face was flushed a dark red and he looked like he could drop the box any moment from how his quivering grip caused the box to shake too. Jack stared at his double just to mess with him, realizing the silence built up a level of anxiousness in his double that was kind of adorable, before giving a slow clap. 

“Perfect.” He purred with satisfaction. Jack embellished a little with the praise but he liked the delivery. 

“Keep that up and maybe you can sit in the big chair one day, pumpkin.” Jack praised before standing up to take the gift. Tim quickly withdrew his hands when they were empty and they fell stiffly at his sides while curling into tight fists. The huge office again fell silent and the only disruption of it was the sound of wrapping paper being pulled and ripped at. Jack wasn’t the most graceful when it came to opening the gift and seemed impatient. Like he couldn’t even wait two more seconds before seeing the mystery concealed within the colorful veil of Hyperion grade shimmering wrapping paper. 

Inside the box was a book. The cover was bear with all but the solid color of Hyperion yellow with a white stripe in the middle that followed all the way to the back cover. A scowl graced Jack’s face before he looked up at his double to see him fidgeting where he stood. Multicolor eyes fell back to the object in the box when Jack began to pull it out of the packaging. He looked it over like it was some otherworldly alien contraption. Jack wasn’t new to books, he was previously a damn good programmer before his “promotion”, but he never enjoyed reading for the sake of it. Casual reading wasn’t his thing and felt if you didn’t learn something from reading then it was a waste of his time. He didn’t give two shits about stories and fantasies or even other people that weren’t him. So yeah, reading kind of sucked when it wasn’t something to gain from it. He’d be kind of pissed if this was like an instructional manual or something. He’s was Handsome Jack so he expected some level of thought or his hand might get fidgety with the nice new button on his chair. Sure, he never genuinely wanted to off his double, he spent a good penny getting _everything_ perfectly replicated and held a sense of fondness for him, but damn would he consider it if this was a damn Hyperion manual. It wasn’t long before Jack opened it and his brows came to life as the rose in surprise. Tim was clever. Clever as hell. This wasn’t a book but a container of sorts, the important content of the pages cut out, to reveal a neatly housed mirror. In the corner of the mirror there was written text in permanent marker: 

_To the best damn person ever from the best damn person ever. Me, Handsome Jack. P.S I’m really damn handsome OXOXO_

Tim figured he’d take one of the older books remodeled to Hyperion’s newer color design at the Hub of Heroism and make a unique mirror. Jack’s ego was so huge that he knew it’d sell over. Now, when he wanted to look at himself he could do so without calling Tim. Jack really did this at the most obscene hours of the day and night. It was the most uncomfortable part of Tim’s day that he kind of looked forward to. Even if it was weird. Really fucking weird. Tim figured a long time ago this insanity called Helios was influencing his own sanity in poor ways. Well it was and that was all thanks to his crazy ass boss. His crazy ass boss who loved himself a lot more than he should. 

There was another moment of silence before Jack smirked. Tim straightened his posture while staring back at his boss trying to figure out that expression. It was something unreadable and the intent behind it was lost to him. He wanted to blame the mask but it was clear that mask or no he’d be clueless. 

“See, I was ready to be _really_ disappointed but then you out Jacked me. Now, pay attention because I’m complimenting you, kiddo. It’s not every day I get to say that.” Jack started and Tim mustered a fragile smile. He was paying attention as he felt the tension from earlier kind of disperse from the air. 

“This right here is gold. I mean, even I wouldn’t have thought this much about a gift to myself. Truth be told, it’s a little creepy. You know, in the best way.” Jack placed the book-mirror gift on his desk and sat it up so he could use it. He was definitely going to use this thing for all intended purposes. In a “when life gets you down just remember you look like this” kind of way. Pure gold. It was better than gold, it was Handsome Jack. There was a meme in here somewhere. 

“But you know, there is something else I like more than gracing my eyeballs with the view of my own incredibly handsome face. Which says a lot because I’m really handsome.” Jack continued leaning forward on his desk again, hands holding up his weight. 

“Want to know what it is, kiddo?” Oddly enough Jack whispered like it was sensitive information not even this nearly empty office should be able to hear. Jack motioned his head for Tim to come in closer to hear the secret. Tim dumbly leaned in awaiting to hear something, anything. He was caught off guard when their little exchange of secrets transformed into a kiss from Jack pulling his double in by the jacket lapel and stealing the chance. It was a chaste exchange, enough just to share warmth of the surface of their lips. A permissive lick at Tim’s bottom lip had granted access to a deeper kiss. It was a heated exchange that Jack didn’t have to fight to claim dominance. His double hadn’t objected to the oral treatment at all which encouraged exploration. Tim hadn’t exactly known the ropes to help enhance a deeper kiss but the sloppy effort earned an appreciative moan of approval from his boss. Jack broke away faintly just to reposition his head for deeper access which left Tim dazed from the warm, comforting friction of their tongues and the how Jack would take love bites at his lip before coming back in for another taste of his double. Granted, Jack was pleased Tim hadn’t been the kind of guy to experience much before his “double” surgery because hell Jack planned to change that. Jack pulled away to see Tim’s handsome face was a nice hue of deep red and his eyes glassy and wide with a level of bewilderment that didn’t suit the Handsome Jack face. It was hot as hell. Jack tapped Tim’s face with his hand, a rhythm of gentle slaps, to wake him up from whatever his mind was caught up in. 

“If you haven’t figured it out I’ll spell it out, kitten.” Jack licked his lips with predatory essence in his eyes. “It’s enjoying the view while fucking myself. That’s where you come in if you haven’t caught up to speed. Congratulations, cupcake, you don’t have to worry about testing the new trapdoor.” Jack joked but Tim wasn’t sure if he was half serious or not. If he wasn’t in a state of bliss from that kiss Tim might’ve been creeped out. Was giving this guy a bad gift that dangerous? At that moment Tim knew he didn’t give a shit about his employer’s birthday anymore. Not when his life was on the line, that is, if it really was. He really couldn’t tell. His mind didn’t dwell on such things as he had more pressing matters to attend to like Jack pulling him around the desk and onto his lap. Tim was straddling himself-err-Jack, Other Jack, and it was like looking into a mirror…which was weird. It dawned on Tim at that moment that they actually had a mirror now; his head slightly to see his gift focused on them from the corner of his eye. They were really going to do this? Tim thought as he subconsciously gripped at Jack’s worn Hyperion sweater. He looked back to Jack as the heat in his face traveled up to the tip of his ears and spread across his neck. 

“Umm, I-I don’t think-“ 

“Shhhh,” Jack gently places his index finger over Tim’s lips to silence him and it worked, “It’s okay, pumpkin. Handsome Jack will teach you anything and everything you need to know. Best frickin’ gift ever; myself. Nice touch. Congrats, kiddo, it doesn’t get better than that.” There was a gleam in Jack’s eyes, Timothy realized, that had nothing to do with the holoscreen and his mouth went dry. 

He couldn’t help but think there definitely was a meme in this somewhere before it didn’t even matter anymore. 

**Author's Note:**

> A gift to the awesome spycethra on tumblr who asked for a drabble where Timothy gives Jack a birthday gift. She's written me a lot of awesome stuff so I happily returned the favor. I owed her this for awhile and finally was able to write it. A drabble gone way past the drabble point to a one shot. By the way, please check out her stuff, it's good stuff, A+ material.
> 
> I wrote like 4 versions of this and had to scrap them all to start new because I honestly am an amateur writer. Still, I hope it's okay and hope you enjoy it too, Spy <3 
> 
> ...I really hope people feel like these two are in character enough. IT WAS HARD.


End file.
